2020: the Year of the Nurse and Midwife

editorial 2020: The Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Debbie Fraser, MN, CNEON(C), RNC-NIC, Editor-in-Chief

Debbie Fraser, MN, urses and midwives make up more for nursing and midwifery in a document CNEON(C), RNC-NIC, than 50 percent of the health care entitled “Global strategic directions for Editor-in-Chief, Athabasca N workforce in many countries, and play a crit- strengthening nursing and midwifery 2016– University, 1 University 3 Drive, Athabasca, AB, ical role in delivering primary care for indi- 2020.” The themes center on the following: Canada, T9S 3A3. E-mail: viduals and communities. They also play • Mobilizing governments to invest in build- [email protected]. an important role in health promotion and ing evidence-based nursing and midwifery disease prevention, especially in developing Debbie Fraser, MN, workforce development countries. Despite the importance of nurses CNEON(C), RNC-NIC, • Optimizing nursing leadership, govern- and midwives in achieving global health, the is an associate professor and ance, and policy development World Health Organization (WHO) esti- the director of the Nurse • Supporting the development of a moti- mates that, by 2030, an additional nine mil- Practitioner program in the vated, educated, and competent workforce Faculty of Health Disciplines lion nurses and midwives will be needed.1 • Strengthening the capacity of nurses at Athabasca University. She In order to address this burgeoning short- and midwives through education, pro- holds an appointment in the age, and, in honor of the 200th anniversary of fessional development, and collaborative Department of Pediatrics, the birth of Florence Nightingale, the WHO partnerships Faculty of Medicine, and the has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Faculty of Nursing at the Nurse and Midwife.” This declaration is an In the United States, the American University of Manitoba. She extension of the Nursing Now Campaign, a Nurses Association (ANA) will be spear- maintains an active practice in the NICU at St. Boniface three-year program (2018–2020) to improve heading activities to address the WHO’s General Hospital and is the health globally by raising the status of nursing goals for the Year of the Nurse. According editor-in-chief of Neonatal and advancing nursing’s role in transforming to ANA president Ernest Grant PhD, RN, Network: The Journal of health care.2 FAAN, there continue to be opportunities Neonatal Nursing. As part of the yearlong celebration, the to expand the public’s understanding of WHO will release the first ever State of the the value of nurses and to increase govern- World’s Nursing report. This report is aimed ment investment in nursing education, prac- at addressing how nurses can help achieve tice, and research. Part of the ANA’s work the WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals, during 2020 will focus on engaging nurses including Universal Health Coverage. This across the country in the yearlong celebra- report will drive the WHO’s policy devel- tion and to celebrate nurses as they “excel, opment for the next three to five years. This lead, and innovate” regardless of where they report will amass data from member countries practice.2 about the numbers of nurses in the country One of the celebratory activities that as well as how nurses are educated and reg- Nursing Now initiated in June of 2019 is the ulated. It will also report on leadership and Nightingale Challenge. This program invites gender issues. It is hoped that this report will employers to identify 20 nurses and/or mid- improve the state of the nursing workforce wives under the age of 35 and, during 2020, and drive national investment in nursing to provide leadership training for this group and midwifery. The Nursing Now campaign that extends beyond clinical work. The over- will undertake country-level dissemination all goal is to see 20,000 nurses and midwives and policy dialogue around the State of the globally benefiting from this program.4 World’s Nursing report. Another opportunity for recognition is Leading up to the Year of the Nurse and through the Edge Runner program spon- Midwife, the WHO developed four themes sored by the American Academy of Nursing.5

01_11-T-646.indd 55 2/14/20 8:06 PM This initiative recognizes nurses who have designed inter- vention to improve health care and enhance patient satisfac- tion. Applications for this program are welcome. Information on this program can be found at https://www.aannet.org/ initiatives/edge-runners. As part of the global nursing community, neonatal nurses play a key role in the health of our patients, but our work extends beyond to that of families and communities. I would encourage all of you to participate, not only in the celebration of nursing this year, but also in taking up the challenge of furthering nursing’s reach both locally and globally. I suggest you begin by nominating nurses from your unit and hospital for the myriad of awards that recognize our accomplish- ments. The Academy of Neonatal Nursing (ANN) sponsors an annual Excellence in Practice Award (see https://www. academyonline.org/page/ScholarshipAward) and welcomes nominations until July 1st of this year. Ask your hospital leadership if they are participating in the Nightingale Challenge. Check out the criteria for Edge Runners—do you know someone deserving of this recognition? Perhaps this year of celebration and global focus on the work of nursing will spur you to consider volunteer- ing abroad or taking up the cause of nurses struggling to carry out their work in war-torn or developing countries or in your own community. Follow the announcements from the WHO for global initiatives, sign up with ANA for news about ongoing work in the United States, and join ANN at our national meeting, where a special celebration of nursing is in the works. Call for Poster and Podium Abstracts REFERENCES 1. World Health Organization. Nursing and midwifery key facts. https:// ANNiversary National www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nursing-and-midwifery. 20th Accessed December 9, 2019. Neonatal Nurses Conference 2. American Nurses Association. ANA enterprise gears up for global ‘year of the nurse’ in 2020. https://www.nursingworld.org/news/ news-releases/2019-news-releases/ana-enterprise-gears-up-for- Fall National Advanced Practice global-year-of-the-nurse-in-2020/?utm_campaign=221202-Year%20 Neonatal Nurses Conference of%20the%20Nurse%20and%20National%20Nurses%20Week&utm_ source=Nursingworld.org&utm_medium=Main%20Splash%20 Page&utm_term=YON2020&utm_content=Press%20Release. Accessed December 9, 2019. 23rd National 3. World Health Organization. Global strategic directions for strengthening Mother Baby Nurses Conference nursing and midwifery 2016–2020. https://www.who.int/publications- detail/global-strategic-directions-for-strengthening-nursing-and- midwifery-2016–2020. Accessed December 9, 2019. September 9–12, 2020 4. International Council of Nurses. Nightingale challenge inspires the next generation of nurse and midwife leaders during 2020 year of the nurse and the midwife. https://www.icn.ch/news/nightingale-challenge- academyofneonatalnursing.org inspires-next-generation-nurse-and-midwife-leaders-during-2020-year. Bally’s Hotel Accessed December 9, 2019. Submission Deadline June 15, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada 5. American Academy of Nursing. Edge runners. https://www.aannet. org/initiatives/edge-runners. Accessed December 9, 2019.

N EONATAL N ETWORK 56 MARCH/APRIL 2020, VOL. 39, NO. 2

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